May J. – for you

for you is May J.’s 3rd album and it was released on February 17, 2010. The album reached #9 on the Oricon Weekly Charts and sold 10,976 copies. Be mine ~Kimi ga Suki da yo~ and Sing for you were the main promotional tracks.

Ever since May J.’s switch from Sony Records to rhythm zone, her music has been sort of different. You could definitely label her as an “urban artist” from listening to her debut album Baby Girl and when she released her 2nd album (and 1st with rhythm zone) FAMILY, the R&B sound was still there but the songs were noticably more “pop”.

We get more of that with this new album. If her last album left you with a lingering feeling, for you definitely fills that void. FAMILY was good but with only 10 tracks (2 of them being interludes), it was fairly short. In this aspect, for you is more complete but it also improves upon the sound of FAMILY. Also, there aren’t any corny interludes to deal with! I’ll go over some of the highlights of the album.

There’s a good balance of upbeat tracks, mellow jams, and ballads that flow well together. Upbeat songs like I’m yours, Kimi ga Ite, and Beautiful Days are all cheery and positive. The 2 main promotional tracks Be mine ~Kimi ga Suki da yo~ and Sing for you (a duet with MAY’S) are pretty mid-tempo numbers that feature strong vocals. Suki to Iwasete and Arigatou were also great slower paced songs.

Most of the tracks feature the standard pop/R&B sound but there were some nice twists. You get the occasional breezy, island themed song with nice acoustics, too.My Sunshine and Kaze ni Naritai feat. CHRIS & BUZZER BEATS (one of my favorite tracks) mixed things up a bit. I do wonder why her cover of Garden was included on this album (it was the first track on FAMILY). Oh well, at least there’s a DAISHI DANCE remix of the song set to English lyrics as a bonus track.

Overall, for you is an even bigger departure from her debut material than FAMILY was. With the label switch came a more mainstream “user-friendly” sound but I think that this album is on the same level as the last two. Personally, I think that her music has been consistently good so that’s why I haven’t been bitching. XD Since this album is longer, some tracks might take longer to sink in.

Pros: This is an enjoyable album that’s sure to lift your spirits. There’s lots of “feel good” stuff on here.
Cons: Some tracks blend into one another.